The present invention relates to a journal bearing assembly and to a method for fabricating the journal bearing assembly.
Shear shredder machines, briquetting machines, grinding machines, and other types of material processing machines typically use a pair of co-acting, substantially parallel, counter-rotating roller assemblies. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,112 and U.S. Pat. App. Ser. No. 09/032,388, filed Feb. 27, 1998 (docket number 511515-028C1) disclose a modular material processing apparatus that includes a pair of co-acting, substantially parallel, counter-rotating roller assemblies, where each of the roller assemblies includes a substantially cylindrical, material processing roller member mounted to a rotating shaft which extends substantially parallel with the longitudinal sides of the frame of the apparatus. Each of the roller assemblies are supported onto the frame by a pair of supports, a first support mounted to one lateral end of the frame and a second support is mounted to the opposite lateral end of the frame. Each of the supports include a bearing housing journalling a cylindrical bearing member mounted or keyed to the shaft of the associated roller assembly.
Conventional bearing assemblies for use with such material processing apparatuses commonly utilize roller-bearing components, such as tapered roller bearings. A disadvantage with such roller-bearing components is their expense and relatively short life span. Another disadvantage of such roller-bearing components is that they provide a limited surface area for bearing the load of the rotational member. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a bearing assembly which has a greater life span than the comparably size roller-bearing assemblies, that is less expensive than conventional roller-bearing assemblies, and which provides a greater surface area to bear the load of the rotating members.